March 22,1894. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
221 
- The Ballaeds, Ceoydon. —We are requested to announce 
that there is no vacancy for a gardener at The Ballards, Croydon. 
- Colonial Botanist foe Queensland.—W e learn from the 
■“ Kew Bulletin” that Mr. F. M. Bailey, F.L.S., the abolition of whose 
post by the Government of Queensland was recorded in these pages some 
time ago, has been re-appointed Colonial Botanist. 
- Daffodils and Dey Summers.—M r. Arnott, on page 202, 
asks for experience similar to that of his Gloucestershire correspondent 
on the above subject. My soil is very dry, sandy, and hot. Nearly all 
my clumps of Narcissi are coming blind ; the common Telamonius 
plenus appears to be the only exception.—J. A. W. 
- Fine White Cyclamens. —Mr. W. Rapley, The Gardens, 
Harrow Weald House, Stanmore, sends us blooms of Cyclamens of 
great excellence, especially as they are from plants sixteen months 
from the seed, averaging sixty blooms each. Mr. Rapley finds it best to 
sow seed every year, and not let the plants cease growing for a moment. 
The variety in question is Sutton’s White. 
- Onions. —I have faith in a fair sprinkling of nitrate of soda, 
applied previous to rain, as a stimulant to help the “ inguns ” by that 
■critical, standstill stage, which they sometimes appear to have, as if they 
were waiting for the maggots. Soot is excellent, but I find the Chrysan¬ 
themums are able to take nearly all I can get, and probably many who 
have more chimneys have more “ mums ” too.—E. K. 
- “ Yallamandas and White Enemies.”—” Please to send up 
for the table to night plenty of Yallamandas and white enemies.” 
Such was an order brought to me by a white-capped servant maid, 
something less than two years ago. The first part of the order merely 
requires elision of the Y to suit all requirements. The “ enemies ” 
were of the Japonica alba type ; and I think for both, as the mis- 
construer did not belong to the great order of gardeners, there was 
some excuse for the not inexpressive “ murthering.”—E. K. 
- The Council of the Dueham, Noethumberland, and 
Newcastle-on-Tyne Botanical and Horticultural Society 
has decided to change the venue of their spring Show, which has been 
held in the Town Hall for many years. It will be held this year in the 
New Olympia, Newcastle, on Wednesday and Thursday, April 18th and 
19th, and we understand that the general arrangement of the Show will 
be on a more artistic scale than formerly. The summer Exhibition 
of the Society will take place on July 18th, 19th, and 20th. 
-Protecting Seeds and Seedlings from Birds.—I have read 
and I hope gained information from the article upon seed-sowing on 
page 177 by Mr. G. Abbey, but my experience does not agree with his. I 
find Peas or other seeds coated with petroleum and red lead are only 
protected thereby until growth appears—no small matter—but then I 
find the birds destroy the seedlings just as freely as if the seeds had not 
been coated, thus making protection of some kind necessary to insure a 
crop. I should like to hear the experience of others upon the subject.— 
F. W. B. 
-The Black Currant Bud Mite,—I t is nearly sixty years 
since the Currant bud mite made its appearance in this locality. 
Different “ cures ” were tried to get rid of the pest, but all were in vain. 
Every bush was then uprooted and consigned to the flames, but our 
neighbours looked on with apathy. It is unfair to allow careless people 
to foster nurseries of insects and fungoid pests to torment and harass 
their neighbours to the utter destruction of crops. The terror of the 
Colorado beetle put action in our authorities, yet they are passive 
respecting more destructive enemies than the beetle. It is but justice to 
ask that a law should be passed to prevent anyone harbouring destruc¬ 
tive pests, and to compel them to apply proper means for their total 
destruction.—W. T., Lanarhshire. 
-A Nonagenarian Gardener. —Mr. J. W. Thomson of 
Haywards Heath informs us that he was ninety years of age yesterday 
(March 21st). Mr. Thomson was employed in the Royal Gardens in 
1819, serving under George III. and succeeding sovereigns. He left 
the Rojal service in 1830, and became head gardener at Syon House. 
Mr. Thomson informs us he was the first to flower Vanda teres there 
in 1833, and that he handed the flower to Her Majesty the Queen, who 
was then the Princess Victoria, about thirteen years of age. Mr. Thom¬ 
son notes as curious that when the Queen visited Waddesden last year 
Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild handed Her Majesty a bouquet of the 
same Orchid, Vanda tereg. We wish Mr. Thomson as many happy 
returns of the day as possible. 
- The Wholesale Fruit and Potato Growers’ Benevo¬ 
lent Society. —We understand that the Duke of Bedford has kindly 
presented a cheque for 100 guineas to the Wholesale Fruit and Potato 
Growers’ Benevolent Society. 
- Heavy Rainfall. —The rainfall during February beats the 
record hereabout, so far as any authentic information can be got. Total 
fall 12‘738 inches, which fell on twenty-six days. On six days there fell 
of that 7-550 inches.—G. McDougall, Stirling. 
- Dividing Hardy Plants.— Those who have borders con¬ 
taining hardy plants that require renovating should lose no time in 
getting the work done. If delayed until April it frequently happens 
that the roots of the plants are injured, and growth consequently 
checked. Many kinds of hardy plants can be lifted and divided where 
it is necessary to increase the number. Edgings of Pinks, Thrift, and 
similar plants can be lifted and replanted if needful now, but avoid 
pulling them to very small pieces.—D. B. 
- Primula FARiNOSA. —Although sometimes grown on rockeries 
this Primula is admirably adapted for growing in pots for the embellish¬ 
ment of the conservatory during the spring and early summer. The 
pretty lilac purple flowers which are borne in compact umbels on long 
stalks show up conspicuously above the silvery foliage. When culti¬ 
vated in pots, however, the plants should not be subjected to a high 
temperature, and during the summer it is a good plan to plunge them 
in ashes outdoors in a comparatively shady place.— Nomad. 
- The Metropolitan Public Gardens Association. —It is 
gratifying to note that during the past year seven gardens and one play¬ 
ground were laid out and opened to the public by this Association, and 
other grounds, which they hope to open in due course, are partly 
prepared. In addition to this they have placed seats in several neigh¬ 
bourhoods and planted one district with trees. There is still much 
work to be done in the way of laying out disused burial grounds and 
securing open spaces when the necessary funds are forthcoming. 
- Renovating Fruit Trees. —Considering the ease with which 
many old fruit trees can be renovated it is astonishing that they are so 
frequently tolerated in gardens. Some years since I cut down several 
large Apple trees to within 2 feet or so of the main stem, and grafted each 
of the stumps of branches with scions of good varieties. These grew 
freely, and last year bore a fair crop of fruit. Readers who have 
unfruitful Apple or Pear trees should now graft them with choice 
varieties, and if properly done the results will be satisfactory.—N. P. 
- Rule of Thumb Gardening. —I endorse the remarks of 
“A. D.” (page 203) that “we want in all our gardening far more 
intelligence and less rule of thumb.” According to my experience, 
many gardeners adopt rule of thumb methods without thinking what 
the results will be. In no instance, perhaps, is this more plainly 
demonstrated than in the mixing of composts for plants. Old-world 
gardeners were very precise in this matter, but it does not necessarily 
follow that practitioners of the present day should follow the same plan 
indiscriminately.—C. P. 
- Lily of the Valley in Woods. —To many persons acres of 
Lily of the Valley in woods would form an interesting and pleasing 
sight, and one probably that it is not possible to see in other than a few 
parts of the country. About a dozen years ago I saw large breadths of 
this popular flower growing in the woods at Roche Abbey, near the 
Sand beck Park, Rotherham, the seat of the Earl of Scarborough. 
Perhaps Mr. Summers, head gardener at the last named place, could 
furnish some particulars as to whether the Lily of the Valley exists now, 
and if the plants flower freely.—C. 
- Conservatory Pillar Plants. —When making a call at 
Sundridge Park Gardens last November, I was much surprised to see 
two very fine plants of Lasiandra macrantha trained up the pillars, 
some 30 feet, in a cool conservatory, and covered with their beautiful 
purple flowers. Two other pillars were clothed with the white Plum¬ 
bago, also in full beauty, and contrasting well with the rich colour of 
the former. In the same house is a large plant of Bougainvillea glabra, 
trained up a pillar and along the girders ; it has for many years 
flowered freely, its principal requirement being a position where it will 
gei full sun to thoroughly ripen its wood. I have seen it prove very 
unsatisfactory in a house where it made plenty of growth ; but owing 
to it only getting the afternoon sun, seldom gave much flower. With 
respect to the improvement in colour, the best that I have seen was 
on a specimen exhibited last season that had been grown without 
h at.—J. H. 
